


Flowers in the desert

by peachysana



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, F/F, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-04 12:56:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11555658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachysana/pseuds/peachysana
Summary: It's the zombie apocalypse and a loner Momo stumbles upon a bubbly and optimistic Sana while she's looking for shelter one night. Even if Momo doesn't trust people easily, Sana somehow manages to tag along. The two might disagree on a lot, but start becoming attached to each other.





	1. Red

 

The third body fell to the ground in an undignified manner with blood splattering on her dark jeans. She put the gun back in its holster hoping she would not have to take it out too soon. She was running low on ammunition and wanted to preserve what was left of it. That is the reason why Momo was currently in this residential neighborhood. She entered every house for the slight chance of finding bullets. Having cleared the first floor of the house she was in, she headed straight for the kitchen, opened the drawers and pantries and shoved whatever edible thing she could find in her backpack. In her book, it was better to have more food even if that meant her bag would be harder to carry. It might be more difficult to run, but at least she would not die of starvation. Steps resonated upstairs and Momo stopped her motions with her hand outstretched for canned peaches. She heard the steps again. Thinking fast, she put the can in her bag and quietly left the house. 

 

Momo walked for a few minutes before sitting down on the sidewalk and taking off her backpack to place it between her legs. It was an especially humid day and her hair was sticking at the back of her neck. Using her shirt to wipe the excess sweat off her face, she took the water bottle out of her bag and took a small swig out of it. She looked at her surroundings while appreciating the silence. All those houses belonged to normal families not more than a few weeks ago. Two months to be exact. Two months ago, children were probably playing tag on those lawns, which were perfectly mowed. Their parents watching them on the porch, maybe with a dog wagging its tail near them, but that was two months ago. Gone were the normal families. Momo doesn’t know exactly how everything happened. It just did. She woke up one morning and everyone on the news was freaking out about a virus from a certain experimental laboratory. 

 

She scoffed thinking about it all. In the first three weeks, the government sent the army to neighborhoods like this one to protect them, but most of them died eventually. They died but got back up, as an entirely different being, to kill more people. Those things were horrific. Some called them zombies while others went for the undead As for Momo, she preferred the term walkers thanks to popular culture. 

 

Thinking she rested enough, Momo got up, brushed the dirt off her pants and continued her way to the next house. Once she entered and closed the door behind her, she whistled a few notes to see if any walkers would appear. Silence answered her and she proceeded to the kitchen. When Momo found empty pantries, she looked for anything else that could be helpful to her. She took the television remote’s batteries and placed them in a small pocket of her bag. Trying to ignore the picture frames hanging on the wall, she moved to the bathroom, where she took aspirin, bandages, sanitary towels and tampons. 

 

The sun began to set as Momo made her way up the stairs. She opened the first door with her foot and decided that was where she was going to spend the night after focusing her eyes on the king size bed. She was lying on her back and her eyes started to close when she heard a small sound. Listening more attentively, it came from the room across hers. She slowly got up, took her handgun out of its holster and walked as quietly as she could to the other room. She put her ear on the door and realised the sound she could hear was light snoring. Curious, she kicked the door open and it went slamming on the wall. In the left corner of the room, a girl who was fast asleep woke up screaming and covered herself with her sheets. 

 

A few seconds passed when Momo kept staring at the girl with her gun raised towards her. She had blonde hair that looked like a bird’s nest, eyes wide open like a deer in headlights and trembling hands gripped her covers so tight her knuckles turned white. 

 

“Please don’t shoot me’’ she begged in a small, sleepy voice. 

 

Momo was a bit surprised. This was her first human interaction in days, but did not lower her gun nonetheless. 

 

“I...T-This is my house’’ she continued, raising her hands in a surrendering manner. “This is my room. Please don’t kill me, I-I don’t want to die’’. 

 

Momo didn’t answer and moved closer to the bed. 

 

“This is my childhood home, please, I can’t die in it. I’m not going to hurt you, an-and you can stay here if you want, as long as you want. J-just, don’t kill me’’.

 

Momo stayed silent for a while. When she finally talked, it was in a hoarse voice. 

 

“How can I know you’re not going to hurt me?’’ 

 

“I don’t have one of those’’ the blonde answered while pointing at her gun.

 

The brunette tilted her head and thought about it. The blonde did have a good point. She seemed pretty harmless, but Momo knew better than to trust someone so easily. Nonetheless, she lowered the weapon and nodded. 

 

“Good point. I’ll get going then.’’

 

She started to make her way to the hallway when she heard the high pitched voice again. She turned back and saw that the blonde got up and walked towards her, playing with her hands. 

 

“Wait, would you like to stay here?’’

 

Momo frowned confusingly with the question. The blonde girl noticed her hesitation and kept going. 

 

“I mean...I’m alone here and could use some company.’’

“No’’ Momo replied, shaking her head. “I have places to go.’’

 

Without waiting for an answer, she left the bedroom and made her way down the stairs. She opened the front door before closing it immediately. Outside was a large horde of walkers, appearing out of nowhere. They were pretty slow and not moving in one particular direction. This meant Momo wasn’t able to tell how long they would be outside the house. She groaned out of frustration, made her way up the stairs again, and threw herself on the large bed. 

 

“You’re still here?’’

 

Momo raised her head. The thin blonde girl was leaning against the door frame, playing with a strand of her hair. Momo nodded, took off her backpack and placed it in the corner of the room. The blonde was looking at her every movement with curious eyes. She opened the front pocket of her bag and took out a large knife and canned peaches out of it. She stabbed the top of the can a couple of times to remove the lid before jabbing the tip of the knife into a fruit slice. She took a good look at the silent girl. She was wearing bright pink pajamas along with bunny slippers. Her top had short sleeves and her thin arms were showing. Momo winced when she saw her protuberant collarbones. Her eyes kept trailing up and then viewed the pale skin of her skinny face. 

 

“Jesus, when did you last eat?’’ Momo mumbled. 

 

The blonde shrugged as if she was not sure herself what the answer was. Her quivering eyes kept looking back and forth between Momo and the can in her hand, unconsciously licking her lips. She jumped in fear when Momo shot an arm towards her. The brunette raised an eyebrow and shook the fruit can in her hand, motioning her to take it. The thin girl did not need to be told twice as she grabbed the can in a hurry, barely chewing the fruits before swallowing them. 

 

“Hey, slow down. You’re gonna be sick.’’

 

Sure enough, a few seconds after drinking the remaining juice, the girl got up and ran to where Momo believed to be the bathroom. She didn’t know what took over her, but she followed the girl to find her puking in the toilet. She sighed and walked closer to tie her hair in a ponytail. 

 

“What did I tell you?’’

 

The sick girl whined, and then laughed. And laughed. And laughed. Momo backed up, thinking she had gone mad. The blonde finally lifted her head and looked at Momo. She cracked a smile. 

 

“It feels so nice to finally talk to someone. Thank you.’’ 

 

Momo felt awkward, not knowing what to answer. She just politely nodded and told her she was going to spend the night due to the horde of walkers lurking outside. When the blonde asked her for her name she shook her head. As she was going towards the bedroom, she simply said:

 

“I’m not telling you that. And I don’t want to know yours. It’s pointless. I’m going to be gone tomorrow anyways.’’

 

“You can stay here if you want’’ chimed the blonde, following her. “I could use some company. I mean it’s scary out there. And you seem nice.’’

 

“I’m not nice’’ Momo answered, shaking her head. She sat on the bed and took her boots off. “And I’m not staying here. You should also find another place. You obviously have no more food and soon enough other people will come through here. And trust me, you haven’t seen what other people are like. And you don’t want to find out.’’ 

 

The blonde sat next to her on the bed with her legs dangling and slippers falling on the floor. 

 

“But my parents are going to come back here, I can’t leave this place. They won’t know where I am.’’

 

Momo looked at her with curious eyes. 

“When’s the last time you’ve seen them?’’

 

The blonde looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the rings on her index and major fingers. She mumbled something that sounded like  _ two months ago _ . 

 

“You know they’re not coming back, right? Sorry for breaking the news but they’re probably dead somewhere. You can’t stay here.’’

 

The blonde simply shook her head and got up. 

 

“I know they’re alive and that they will find me. Where are you going anyways?’’

 

Momo told her she was heading towards the nearest military base to find permanent shelter. As she was yawning, she told the blonde she was going to try to get some sleep. She placed the knife she used for the peaches under the pillow and went under the covers. When she looked at the door, she saw that the blonde was still staring at her. 

 

“Goodnight, stranger. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.’’ she said in a low voice, walking towards her own room. “I’m Sana, by the way. And thank you for the food.’’

 

Momo slept like a log that night, and only woke up when the sun shone through the window. She stretched before reaching for her knife. She slowly got up, put her boots back on and the knife back in the bag. She almost tripped on those bunny slippers that girl left near the bed but managed to stay upright and leave the room quietly. She peeked in the other room to see the blonde sleeping with her mouth slightly open, lightly snoring. 

 

Sana. It was a beautiful name and it fitted the girl quite nicely. Sana. Knowing her name made it much harder for her to leave that morning. However, she needed to get going, and nobody was going to slow her down. She tried not to think about how the girl would feel waking up in an empty house as she opened the front door. She finally walked down the deserted street and decided to raid a few more houses before pursuing her journey. 


	2. Lilac

Momo exited her fourth house and made a mental list of what she found so far that morning: five granola bars, a plastic water bottle and a flashlight. She cursed under her breath, upset she didn't find any ammunition or any other useful weapons. Looking up at the bright sun, she estimated she had about two hours to walk around before she had to rest. It was too hot outside these days to keep walking at noon and keeping her stamina was crucial in case she had to escape walkers.    
  


Before she could even make her way to the next house, she heard the familiar high pitched voice.

 

"Hey stranger! Wait for me!"

 

Momo froze and looked at the blonde girl who was running towards her. She traded her pajamas for a bright yellow shirt and booty shorts. The only thing she had with her was a pink baseball bat that had paint scratched off in a few places and black tape around the handle. When the blonde reached her, she swung the bat on her shoulders before pouting.    
  


"I woke up and you were gone" she said playing with her foot. Now that Momo looked at it, she noticed the girl was wearing sandals. Was she even real?    
  


"I know you have to go places, but you could have waited for me!"  

 

Momo shook her head. "I told you I had to leave" she replied in a stern voice. "And you should too." 

 

The blonde smiled widely. "That's what I'm doing! Let's go!" 

 

"Sorry sweetheart, but you're not coming with me."    
  


She then started to leave but the sound of sandals clapping against the asphalt meant the blonde was following her. Momo turned around, unimpressed. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. 

  
The blonde acted like she didn't do anything and kept walking, looking over her shoulder when she passed her.

  
"Are you coming? We have places to go!"

  
Momo walked closer to the other girl. " _ I _ have places to go" she said in a calm voice. She pointed at the blonde "And  _ you  _ won't go anywhere dressed like this."   
  


"What's wrong with my outfit?" she asked with such offense.

 

‘’What’s your name again? Sana, right?’’ Momo asked in a tired voice. ‘’Look Sana, I... You know what? You can come with me on one condition. You're putting different clothes on."

 

Sana squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. Momo shook her head, half annoyed and half amused. The pair went back to Sana's house where the latter ran up the stairs. Momo walked slowly around the first floor and stopped by the kitchen table when she saw something that caught her attention. It was a small note displaying a short text.

 

_ Hey Mom and Dad, _

 

_ I'm going to try and find shelter at the nearest military base. Don't worry, I'm with a nice friend. _

_ I love and miss you, _

_ Sana _

 

Momo was surprised to say the least. First, the girl really believed her parents were still alive. Second, she said she was her friend when the pair haven't even known each other for twenty four hours. Shaking her head, she walked up the stairs and went into Sana's room.

 

"Jesus Christ!" Momo screamed while covering her eyes with one arm. "What the hell are you doing?"

 

Sana shrugged. "Changing. You told me to."

 

Momo grunted. "At least put a bra on."

 

The blonde chuckled, but did as she was told and turned around with her hands on her hips.

 

"I need your help because I have no idea what to wear."

 

Momo nodded and mumbled something that sounded like  _ I can see that.  _ She then proceeded to look through the other girl's closet. She somehow managed to find an appropriate neutral shirt and jeans amongst the bright colors that most of her clothing consisted of. She threw the new outfit on the bed, motioning Sana to change before she left the room. She slid down the hallway’s wall and placed her head between her hands. She invited a complete stranger to come along with her. She broke her number one rule which was to stick to her original plan: get to the army base and don’t talk to anyone. Momo decided one thing: as soon as the other girl would cause any kind of trouble, she was going her own way. 

The blonde came out a few minutes later, swirling to show Momo her clothes. She was now wearing jeans and a dark T-shirt. Nothing too warm considering the temperature outside, but clothes that wouldn’t reveal too much skin in case of bites or scratches. Momo noticed once again just how small the other girl looked in her clothes. She was almost floating in the shirt and her jeans bunched up around her knees. 

 

Momo got up to brush her hands on her pants.  “ Do you have a backpack?’’

 

Sana nodded and went back into her room to get her school bag to take out the textbooks. With the help of Momo, she packed a few more items of clothing along with a sleeping bag. The pair did a final trip to the bathroom to take toilet paper, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Momo noticed Sana rummage through the pharmacy and subtly put a pill bottle in the front pocket of her bag. 

 

Momo chuckled when the blonde waved her house goodbye. The pair were now in the middle of the road, walking side by side in silence. It was starting to get warmer by the minute and Momo wanted to cover as much distance possible before having to rest. She was mentally going over her plan when she spotted something moving at the end of the street. She turned her head to look at Sana, who froze at the sight with her mouth wide open and her eyes quivering in fear. 

 

“ Have you killed one before?’’ Momo asked. 

 

Sana gulped and shook her head. She did not move her eyes away from the walker that was now staggering towards them. 

 

“ I’m giving you this one then. Always aim for the head. ‘’

 

The blonde lifted her baseball bat and spread her feet apart, ready to swing. Momo took out her knife with eyes going back and forth between the walker that was getting closer and Sana’s hands were now shaking. The repulsive corpse reached them with his hands looking more like claws ready to dig in their skin. Momo was used to the sight by now, but she was worried for Sana. The latter was as still as a statue, bat raised in the air. Her whole body was shaking and she closed her eyes when the growls coming out of the walker’s throat became too much to bear. Momo acted fast, pounced on the walker and plunged her knife  in his temple once, emitting a sickening sound. She stabbed him two more times before the body fell to the ground. Silence filled their ears once again, making Momo come to her senses. Furious, she faced Sana, who was now squatting with face hidden between her hands. 

 

“ Jesus, Sana, what was that?’’ she hissed. 

 

Sobs answered her. Feeling guilty about snapping at the other girl, she kneeled in front of her and rubbed her back with one hand. No words came out of her mouth as she did not know what to say to comfort the blonde. After a few seconds, Sana fell forward, asphalt digging in her hands and knees as she dry-heaved. 

 

“ That walker really did a number on you, huh?’’ Momo chuckled, trying to relieve the tense atmosphere. 

 

Sana sat back while taking deep breaths. Tear marks could be seen on her cheeks.  “ S-Sorry...I-I couldn’t do it’’ she managed to say between sniffles. 

 

Momo locked eyes with her.  “ Yes you can, Sana. You have to. These things are not people anymore. They’re nothing like you and me. They’re long gone.’’

 

“ Let me try again with the next one, please’’ Sana replied, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. 

 

Momo nodded and helped her get up as they continued their walk. The brunette explained to Sana the precise steps she had to do to keep her cool in front of a walker in order to properly kill it. The latter seemed a bit distracted as she nodded along which made Momo stop and ask her what was wrong. 

 

“ What’s your name?’’ she simply asked. 

 

Momo shook her head, refusing to tell her. She wasn’t getting attached to her. One of them could die soon anyway, so why bother getting closer when it would make it more difficult for them in the long run?

 

Sana pouted and showed off her puppy dog eyes.  “ Pretty p-Woah what was that?’’

 

Momo put a finger to her lips signaling Sana to keep quiet. Her feet adopted a fighting stance as her knife was already raised up in front of her. The walker came from their left side, popping out from in between two houses. Sana pointed at herself, silently telling Momo it was her kill. Not bearing to wait until it got closer in fear she would chicken out, the blonde walked towards the corpse, raised her bright baseball bat in the air and whispered  _ they’re not people.  _ In any other situation, Momo would have laughed at the funny sight, but this was a matter of life or death. If Sana couldn’t do this, then she would have to go her own way. Momo couldn’t carry a dead weight around her at all times. 

 

The sound of the cracking skull reached her ears faster than she expected. The walker was lying on the ground, unmoving, while Sana was doing a victory dance next to it. 

 

“ I did it, stranger! I killed one!’’ she screamed in ecstasy. 

 

Momo couldn’t help but crack a smile. 

 

The pair sat down to take a small break to enjoy a granola bar and some water. They continued their trip in the residential area, trying to reach the nearby woods as soon as possible. Sana’s neighborhood was pretty far from the city’s center, and woods covered a lot of superficy near her house. They were about two kilometers away from the first few trees when a loud, piercing scream resonated through the air. 

 

“ What was  _ that _ ?’’ Sana gulped. 

 

Momo shrugged.  “ Who cares? Let’s go.’’

 

Sana pulled on the back of Momo’s shirt to prevent her from proceeding. The brunette turned around with an unhappy expression. 

 

“ That sounded like a child. We should go look if someone needs help. I think it came from the elementary school over there.’’

 

“ No, sweetheart.’’ replied Momo, her voice laced with sarcasm.  “ That’s exactly how you get killed.’’ 

 

“ That child could be in danger! We have to do something!’’ Sana pleaded. 

 

The brunette crossed her arms.  “ If you want to go this is it. I’m sticking to my plan.’’

 

“ What?’’ Sana stuttered as her eyes filled with anxiety.  “ Please, I really want to see if that child needs us.’’

 

Momo shook her head for what seemed like the tenth time that day.  “ I’m not going there. So...I guess this is goodbye.’’

 

Sana looked conflicted as her mouth opened and closed. The painful scream was heard once again and she took one last look at Momo before running in the opposite direction. Momo sighed but took off quickly towards the forest. She was able to go faster without the blonde acting as a distraction with all her questions and happy dances and ridiculous clothing. Momo slowed down as she remembered the note she’d seen in the blonde’s house.  _ I’m with a nice friend  _ she read. Why would Sana write such a thing? Did she really think she was a nice person? Momo wondered if Sana would change that note if she could rewrite it now. A second scream brought her back to reality. A third one echoed through the air ten seconds after.  And then complete silence. Momo’s feet stopped moving. 

 

“ Ugh, fuck it’’ she mumbled and broke into a run in the direction Sana was last headed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this second chapter!  
> Are you ready for a new character to be introduced pretty soon? 
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos and sorry again for the mistakes! I love you!  
> Also sorry for the weird spacing in this chapter, I don't really know what went on here  
> Lexy


	3. Green

Running used to be one of her favorite ways to work out. The fresh air, the adrenaline rush it gave her and the high she felt after a long run were a few reasons why. Running used to be one of her favorite. It just wasn't the same anymore. The point of a run before was to keep in shape. Running now meant trying to escape death, or in this case, trying to reach Sana before something bad happened.

 

She slowed down her run to catch her breath when the school was in her line of sight. Not being taken care of, weeds were so high they were centimeters away from touching the first floor's windows. She jogged to reach the building and entered silently, praying the sound of the closing door wouldn't draw any attention on her. She took her handgun out since she didn't know who was in the building and hoped she could find Sana fast and get out of there.

 

The hair on her arms stood up when she heard a scream near her. It definitely came from one of the classroom on her right. She was relieved that it didn't sound like Sana. She just hoped she wasn't wrong. Scanning the hallway, she saw only four closed doors where the scream could have come from. Sneaking up to the first room, she peeked in the door’s window just to see a normal looking classroom if not for the scattered papers on the floor. Her heart was beating faster and faster as she made her way to the second door. Momo was crouching in front of it, listening for any little noise that would indicate the presence of someone inside, when a stranger’s hand covered her mouth. Reacting fast, she grabbed the person’s arm as she turned around, swinging her leg to kick their knee and pointed her gun at them, finger on the trigger. She gasped when she saw it was Sana on the floor, grabbing her knee with both her hands.

 

“What in the hell are you doing?’’ Momo whispered angrily.

 

“You’re back!’’ Sana exclaimed happily. She pointed at the gun with her chin. “I have a weird déjà-vu feeling. Are you going to shoot me this time?’’

 

Momo lowered her weapon as soon as she realised it was still aiming at the other girl.

 

“Lower your voice and let’s get out of here.’’ she said in a hurry, walking up to Sana

 

Sana pointed a shaky finger somewhere on Momo’s left.

 

“Behind you, watch out!’’ she screamed.

 

Momo didn’t have time to react and before she could do anything, she felt something cold dig against her temple. Time seemed to slow down. Momo could hear a loud buzzing in her ears and Sana’s loud screams were muffled. A man behind her started talking, but Momo couldn’t figure out what he was saying. She could only tell his voice was deep and sounded rough. She was brought back to reality when she saw Sana reach for her baseball bat.

  
“Don’t you fucking move!’’ Momo heard the man scream next to her ear, spit landing in her hair and on the side of her face.

 

Sana froze in fear, her bat a few feet away from her. Suddenly, a boy no more than ten years old came out from one of the classrooms. The man shooed him away, telling him to wait in the usual spot, wherever that was. Momo figured out pretty quickly that this was a trap in which the child was used to lure people in the school.

 

“You, Blondie. Take all your weapons and throw them on the floor.’’

 

Momo didn’t look away from Sana. The latter was shaking like a leaf, getting up slowly. She limped towards Momo, her knee obviously injured and locked eyes with the brunette. Momo could see tears running down Sana’s cheeks and she visibly was trying to control her breathing.

 

“If you do one wrong move, I’m gonna shoot your friend’s brains out.’’

 

Sana let out a hiccup and lowered her head, her shoulders shaking. Momo felt Sana’s clammy hand on her wrist, her other hand taking the gun away from her. When the blonde lifted her head again, she immediately found Momo eye’s and mouthed I’m sorry in between ragged breaths. The sound of the gun falling on the floor made both girls flinch. The man screamed at them to keep going, grabbing Momo’s shoulder and shaking her, making the brunette yelp in fear and Sana break out in ugly sobs.

 

The blonde touched Momo's thigh with her trembling hand, inching slowly towards the knife strap that was secured there. Her fingers dragging across her thin jeans gave Momo goosebumps, that she put on the account of the gun held to her head. Sana reached the knife, fingers closing on the handle, all while looking at Momo.

 

“Hurry, Princess, or I'll count to five and shoot you and your little friend here.”

 

Sana rushed to take the knife out of the strap. As she was lowering it to the floor, screams were heard again. It was no doubt the child again and the man turned his head back to see what the fuss was about. Momo saw the only opportunity she had and yanked the knife out of Sana’s hand and stabbed the man in the stomach.

 

“You stupid bitch!” he yelled, dropping his gun in surprise.

 

He doubled over and Momo, being in a defensive state, kicked the guy on the ground, inflicting him more pain with the heel of her boot.

 

Sana crawled a few feet to pick up her discarded baseball bat. She tried to get up but fell down, her throbbing knee making it too hard to walk more. She looked over her shoulder and saw Momo pointing her gun at the man, anger showing all over her face.

 

“Tell your son I’m sorry his daddy might lose a leg.’’ Momo said in an emotionless voice.

 

Sana closed her eyes instinctively when she heard two gunshots and the man’s screams. She heard quick steps and before she knew it, Momo was leaning down next to her. Her eyes were wide and quivering.

 

“You okay, Sana?’’ she asked, voice laced with worry. “Let’s go, quick.’’

 

Sana tried to get up a second time, but fell once again. She watched curiously as Momo took off her backpack, wearing it on the front of her body instead and kneeled in front of her. Sana didn’t need any explanation and wrapped her arms around Momo’s neck, her bat still in one hand. The brunette got up effortless, reached for Sana’s legs to hold them against her sides and started to run towards the exit as fast as she could, the man’s swears fading in the background.

 

➼➼➼

 

When they came to a stop, Momo’s legs were aching and her lungs could have easily been on fire she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. They had reached the outskirts of the forest and Momo decided it would be a good time to take a break. She slowly lowered Sana to the ground so the blonde could sit against a tree and rest her leg for a while.

 

The two stayed silent a few minutes while Momo rearranged the contents of her backpack. Sana closed her eyes, trying to replay everything that just happened in her head.

 

“How’s your knee?” Momo asked in a small voice, breaking the awkward silence.

 

Sana smiled, saying it felt much better, but Momo saw right through her and poked her knee, her expression turning into a guilty one when she saw Sana grimacing in pain.

 

“I'm so sorry, Sana, I didn't mean to hurt you. You..I-I didn't realise it was you and I acted impulsively.”

 

Sana shook her head, a panicked look on her face. “ No, no! Don't apologise for it. You saved my life today. I should have listened to you when you said it was a bad idea to go there...it's all my fault.”

 

“Hey don't say that” Momo replied with a small smile. “You wanted to help someone you thought was in trouble. And that's pretty brave of you.”

 

A blush appeared on the blonde’s face and she tried to hide her warm face in her arms.

 

“Will you forgive me for that?” Momo asked pointing at the other girl’s knee.

 

Sana comically rubbed her chin with her index finger to act like she was thinking hard about what to answer. Her face lit up suddenly.

 

“I have an idea” she replied happily. “I'll forgive you if you answer three questions I'll ask you. Honest answers.”

 

“Deal’’ Momo answered with a smirk. “Let’s do this while walking though, I want to cover as much distance as possible before it gets dark. Can you walk now?’’

 

Sana slowly got up, her hands grabbing the tree behind her for support. As soon as she put weight on her left leg her face scrunched up and Momo helped her stay still by reaching for her arms.

 

“I guess not yet’’ Momo sighed. Once again, she bent in front of Sana, waiting for the girl to climb on her back and the pair slowly made their way into the forest.

 

Being surrounded by trees, leaves crunching under Momo’s feet and birds chirping made both girls feel like everything was back to normal. It was as if the chaos was put on hold as they went deeper and deeper into the woods. No walkers were in sight and the silence enveloped them. Momo had a hard time believing she was giving a piggyback ride to a girl she only met the day before. Sana had her arms wrapped around Momo’s neck, her head resting on her shoulder as she was humming songs Momo could only recognize as cartoons’ theme songs. The brunette was pretty strong but had to adjust their positions every few minutes to prevent Sana from sliding down her back.

 

“First question’’ Sana broke the silence after a few minutes. “Where’s your family?’’

 

“Dead.’’

 

Sana was caught off guard by the answer, her grasp slightly tightening on Momo’s shirt. The brunette was unfazed by her reaction and kept walking.

 

“What happened?’’ Sana whispered.

 

“Is that your second question?’’ the brunette smirked.

 

“Yes. NO! Wait...no. You should elaborate your answers though.’’

 

Momo rolled her eyes. “The deal never specified.’’

 

The blonde groaned, knowing Momo was right. A few minutes passed before she asked her second question.

  
“What’s your name?’’

 

“Hirai Momo’’ the girl answered.

 

After gushing and saying Momo’s name out loud a few dozen times, Sana proceeded to tell Momo her own full name. She didn’t know if she heard properly or if the sound of the leaves moving with the light breeze made her imagine things, but Sana thought she heard the brunette whisper her name, Minatozaki Sana, as if testing it on her tongue.

 

Momo was about to stop walking, her legs starting to give up on her, when Sana gasped.

 

“Look! Over there by that tree!’’

 

The pair got closer to the tree in question and Momo lowered Sana on the ground. Around the tree trunk was a leash at the end of which was a dog, a healthy looking pitbull, happily wagging its tail when it saw the girls.

 

“Hey there, buddy.’’ Momo said, slowly approaching the door. “What are you doing here all alone?’’ She turned her head to look at Sana. “He looks pretty healthy, I think someone abandoned him recently.’’

 

Sana looked at her with pleading eyes. “He’s coming with us right?’’

 

Momo ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t know, Sana...I mean...we would have to feed him..he could slow us down...I-I’m not sure about him.’’

 

The blonde pouted, bringing her hands together in a pleading motion, arguing they couldn’t leave the dog alone here for walkers to find. She told Momo she would stop asking questions if they kept it, and Momo, who didn’t need that much convincing to keep it, agreed almost immediately. She squatted near the dog, waiting for him to come to her. He sniffed her hand in a few places before jumping on her, headbutting her in the face. Momo let out a laugh, petting the animal before taking off its leash, tucking it in her bag. As soon as the leash was off, the dog ran to Sana, who didn’t have time to dodge it, and licked her on the nose as if she was its owner.

 

“Let’s stop here for today. You need to rest your leg and I can't carry you any longer.”

 

Sana lowered her head to hide her blush. She hummed in acknowledgement and rummaged through her backpack, taking the sleeping bag and laying it on the ground. She took a sweater and wrapped it around her body to keep warm when the temperature would drop in the night. Momo observed her with curiosity as the blonde opened the front pocket of her bag and took out a small pill out of it’s bottle, swallowing it dry. Momo didn’t ask any questions, but still offered her water from the plastic bottle she found that morning. Sana thanked her with a little head movement before lying down on the makeshift bed, using her bag as a pillow.  
“What should we name him?’’ Sana asked softly.

 

Momo groaned in annoyance and put the rest of the beef jerky she fed the dog with in its package.

 

“We’re not giving him a name. You’ll just get attached and suffer more when he…’’

 

Sana didn’t let her finish the sentence, speaking louder than her, shouting name ideas. Momo rubbed her temples, trying to keep her sanity. The blonde was going off about how the dog should have the name of a tree since that’s where they found him. After a few name suggestions, Sana finally settled for Oakley.

 

“What do you think of your new name, big boy?’’ the blonde asked the dog in a baby voice. Oakley wiggled his tail, running towards her and curling up in her arms. After getting his cuddles, the dog got up to inspect their campground.

 

Sana looked up to Momo with her biggest smile. “I think he likes it.’’

 

Momo chuckled and walked to the sleeping bag, sitting down next to Sana. The blonde scooted closer so her body was against Momo’s leg, telling the other girl it was for warmth. Oakley settled down at their feet and fell asleep instantly.

 

➼➼➼

 

Momo heard a sleepy voice call her name. She hummed, urging Sana to speak so she could doze off to dreamland again.

 

“I just wanted to thank you for coming back to get me’’ Sana mumbled against the other girl’s thigh. “I don’t know how I could do this alone.’’

 

Momo let out a small smile, but stayed quiet.

 

“Can I ask what happened to your parents?’’

 

The brunette contemplated whether or not she should tell her the truth, starting to worry Sana would think different about her. The blonde shook her shoulder, asking her if she was still awake.

 

“I killed them’’ Momo finally answered in a tight voice. “I woke up one morning and there they were...th-they all turned. I couldn’t leave them like that...I-I did what I had to do.’’

 

Sana lifted her head from her bag, sat up and blinked a few times, visibly shocked by such an answer. It was pitch black in the middle of these woods but she could see the stars’ reflection in Momo’s watery eyes. Not knowing what to say, she wrapped the girl in her arms, trying to give her a sense of comfort and to let her know that she was there and she would stick with her as long as Momo wanted her to. She sighed in relief when the brunette returned the hug by wrapping her own arms around Sana’s waist, gently squeezing. The pair parted and returned to their previous position, but Sana’s arm snaked around the front of Momo’s waist.

 

“Momo?’’

 

The brunette hummed in acknowledgement.

 

“Are you…Um. Are you gonna leave me again?’’

 

Momo shushed her. “I came back for you today, didn’t I?’’

 

That was enough reassurance for Sana and she instantly dozed off, a small smile on her lips. Momo stayed awake, keeping an eye out for any walkers. Oakley got up from its spot to lie down next to her extended legs, his head resting on her thigh. Her hand automatically landed on the dog’s head, lightly scratching behind his ears. Her right hand moved on its own to Sana’s hair and started rubbing it lightly, and she swore she was doing it to stay awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello peeps! i hope you enjoyed the third chapter. Sorry it took a while! I really want to update the next one as soon as possible since im starting grad school soon. 
> 
> anyways i love you all. thanks for the comments and the kudos i really appreciate. 
> 
> Love u! Lexy


	4. Pink

A week had passed since the school incident. Sana's knee was healing rather fast and the only pain she felt was at the end of a long day of walking. Everything was going alright. Momo was the one in charge of the directions, since Sana had no sense of orientation whatsoever. She was also responsible of their daily schedule and Sana was okay with it, following her without any complaints. The blonde knew Momo simply had better survival skills.

 

Momo surprised herself in the past week. She thought she would be more annoyed with the blonde, but Sana was actually tolerable. They bickered a lot about Oakley in the last few days and whether or not they should put him on a leash. Sana thought it would be safer if they made sure he stayed close, but Momo argued that he never wanders too far from them. They also argued over teaching Sana how to shoot a gun. Momo had an extra one from the guy in the school and thought it would be smart if Sana knew how to use it, but the latter hated any kind of weapons. Her bat was the only thing she could deal with.

 

At least Sana was getting better at this whole killing walkers thing. She now knew how to use her bat in the most effective way possible and most of the walkers they met in the last two days fell to the ground with only one or two strikes to the head.

 

The girls were currently making their way out of the forest to a nearby city to fill up on food and water, just as Momo proposed. Having Oakley with them meant supplies didn't last as long as before, but both girls were okay with that. After all, they quickly got attached to the dog. At least Sana did. Momo would never admit it. She would not talk to Oakley in that cute baby voice Sana used and didn't want to show too much affection to the animal in front of the other girl.

 

Sana sneezed, pulling Momo out of her thoughts. The brunette looked up to the sky, wiping the rain drops that landed on her face. She opened her bag and gave Sana the jacket that was at the bottom, telling her to wear it so she wouldn't catch a cold.

 

“Thanks" said Sana, wrapping her arms around herself to create some heat. Oakley was walking close to her, rubbing himself on her legs as if he knew she was affected by the weather.

 

Momo had once read somewhere that dogs could sense people's emotion. Well, she was sure dogs could also sense a lack of emotions. At least Oakley could. Anytime a walker was near, the dog would warn them with a low growl. It became pretty useful at night when the pair wanted to get some sleep. The girls took turns sleeping, while the other would keep watch. However, sometimes their eyes would close for just a bit too long and they would end up falling asleep, leaving no one awake to look out for potential danger. This was mostly common with Sana. These were times that they were especially thankful they had Oakley around. As he would instantly wake up when he heard a branch crack or the grunts of a walker. He would then wake them up by growling or lightly biting their fingers if that turned out to be ineffective.

 

“Can we stop and eat something?” Sana asked, shivering even with the additional layer of clothing.

 

Momo nodded and offered her the only thing left in her bag - a granola bar - and told her to eat it slowly. The blonde hadn't gained much weight since Momo found her in her house. After all, they burned more calories by walking all day than eating their few snacks.

 

“Here, have some” Sana said, offering her half the snack.

 

Momo shook her head. “I’m good. We need to put some fat on you.”

_______

“That looks promising” Momo said pointing to a large building in front of them.

 

It was a large hotel situated in the center of the town. It looked fancy, yet nothing too extravagant. They slowly made their way inside, being careful not to attract walkers by making any noise. Sana was in awe as they stood in the lobby. The hotel had this open space look with black and white furniture filling the room while also having a cozy feel with the fireplace in front of the couches. Momo nudged Sana’s arm to pull her out of it. They then followed signs on the wall that led them down a corridor to the kitchen. Once in the room, they had to clear a few walkers before getting to the pantries. Momo let out a sigh of relief when she opened it and saw all this food inside. She knew by now that raiding grocery stores was useless because it's the first place people would go to find food, since it was so obvious. Some hotels, however, and restaurants, were left untouched if they were lucky.

 

Both girls filled their bags with dried fruits, beans and soup cans. Momo let out a satisfied yell when she found the hotel’s water supplies and suggested to Sana they should bring it to a room and take a well deserved shower. Sana almost moaned at the idea.

 

“What about the top floor?’’ Sana asked with a bright smile. “I heard the most luxurious rooms are there’’ she added, wiggling her eyebrows.

 

“Sure. Help me out with those first’’ she said pointing at the water jugs.

 

They headed towards the staircase in a slow pace because of all the things they were carrying. It took several minutes before they reached the top floor, out of breath and their arms and thighs on fire. They left the jugs on the floor and took out their weapons, ready to clear the floor of anything living. Surprisingly, only half a dozen rooms were occupied by walkers, making it a quick and easy clearing. Momo let Sana choose the room in which they were going to stay for the night and Sana happily ran all the way down the hall, opening several doors before finding a room she liked. Momo entered silently after the blonde and sighed in satisfaction. Two queen beds were in front of her, fancy bedding intact and the fluffiest looking pillows screaming her name. The back wall was just one large window framed by pure white curtains. On the left was a door that Momo guessed led to the bathroom. On the right side was an archway leading to another room where couches faced another window, offering a stunning view of the city. Both girls flopped on the beds at the same time, finally able to rest on something other than dirt and a thin sleeping bag.

_______

“This is the most amazing shower I’ve ever taken in my entire life’’ Sana exclaimed coming out of the bathroom.

 

She only had a white towel wrapped around her body that stopped well above the knee. Water was dripping out of her loose hair and onto the hotel room floor as she made her way to the bed. She hummed some melody while retrieving the sweater from her bag.

 

“You better go take one now because I’m changing’’ she said while undoing her towel.

 

Before anything showed, Momo jumped out of bed, cursing under her breath, and ran for the bathroom. This girl was going to kill her before any walkers could. She undressed, climbed in the bathtub and immediately relaxed as she poured water on her skin. She hadn’t had anything close to a shower in weeks and the feeling of getting rid of all the dirt on her skin was indescribable and it felt like she was getting rid of all her bad memories along with it. She scrubbed her skin until her body turned red. Not long after, she got out of the shower, placing the remaining water jugs in the tub.

 

“Let’s wash our clothes while we have the chance’’ Momo said coming out of the bathroom.

 

She stopped in her tracks, seeing Sana jumping on the bed wearing only a sweater, no pants in sight. The shirt was riding up with each jump, showing off her underwear and stomach. It took Momo everything in her power to look away.

 

Sana turned her head to look at Momo and smiled widely. “Come on, join me!”

 

Momo shook her head and told her to stop being so loud. She retreated to the bathroom once more, bringing all her dirty laundry with her. The sound of the bed springs stopped and Sana joined her a few seconds after, putting all her clothes in the tub with Momo's. After washing it and hanging it in the room to dry, the girls layed down on their respective beds, finally relaxing.

 

“Let’s play a game.’’

 

“Can’t we just nap for a few hours?’’ Momo groaned. “What did you have in mind?’’ she added after no reply on Sana’s part.

 

“A question game?’’

 

Momo whined. Sana had been nagging Momo the whole week with her questions, which the brunette usually answered with a single word. Momo learned the hard way that Sana was a very talkative person. The two girls had drastically different defense mechanisms. Momo kept to herself and was a very private person. She thought the less you get attached to someone, the less you’ll get hurt when they leave. She adopted a cold appearance since the world had gone to shit. Sana was the complete opposite. She was soft and talkative. She always looked for the positive side even in a bad situation. That was just her way of dealing with the current hell they lived in.

 

“Sure, let’s play.’’

 

And so they spent the rest of the day asking each other questions in the form of games and reading crappy magazines they found in the bathroom. The pair slowly started to fall asleep; their eyes starting to get heavy with magazines forgotten on their lap.

 

“Momo?” whispered Sana. “Can I sleep in your bed?”

 

Momo also learned in the past week that Sana was someone who craved attention and physical contact.

 

“What? No, you have your own! You better enjoy it because it won't happen often.”

 

“But you sh-’’

 

“You better try to get some sleep now, we’ll have a big day tomorrow.’’

 

“Goodnight, Momoring” said Sana while yawning. “Sweet dreams.”

 

Momo rolled her eyes and turned around, her back facing Sana so the blonde wouldn't see the small smile that crept on her face. She heard the other girl's bed squeak and looked over her shoulder and saw Oakley crawling up to Sana, lying down next to her, instantly falling asleep.

 

The brunette woke up a few hours later, sweaty and her heart racing. Another nightmare. She had them almost every night at the beginning of the apocalypse, but it calmed down in the past weeks. It was always about the same thing. Her parents. At the beginning of the dream, the little family was either playing in the yard or having fun at the park. And it always ended in her parents and sister lying on the ground in a pool of blood and Momo having a gun in her hands.

 

She put a hand over her heart, trying to calm herself when she felt something move next to her. She looked on her left side and there was Sana, cuddling into her side, sleeping soundly. A light snore came from the end of the bed and she noticed Oakley there, sprawled at their feet. She closed her eyes again and scooted closer to Sana. And just like that, she fell back asleep.

_______

Sana woke up the next morning to an empty bed. She rubbed her eyes and tried to not let herself panic as she got up.

 

“Momo?’’ she whispered, knowing better than not to be too loud. “Momo? Oakley?”

 

The blonde got up after hearing no answer and tiptoed to the kitchenette area only to find it empty. She made her way silently to the adjacent room and sighed in relief when she saw Momo. The girl was dressed in her daily clothes and was looking out the window, offering Sana a view of her back. Oakley was sitting next to her right leg, getting scratched behind the ears. Sana approached them.

 

“Good morning, Momo! You're up early...Did you sleep well?”

 

Momo shrugged, not offering any answer.

 

“See this building?” she said changing the subject, her finger touching the window. “That's where we’re going today.”

 

“What's there?” asked Sana with curiosity, trying to find the building Momo was pointing at. She got up after a final pat to Oakley’s belly, smiling at Momo. “Can't we go back to the forest? There was way less walkers there…”

 

“Not yet, Sana. I need ammunition and this might be a good place. I know the army was deployed in hospitals to help out so there’s a chance I'll find stuff there.”

 

Sana pouted, a little affected by Momo’s cold tone, and agreed to the girl’s plans even if it terrified her.

 

Momo's face softened as she looked at Sana. “Hey..don’t worry. We won't go in the hospital alright? We'll just go near.”

 

Sana nodded slowly.

 

“I promise you we’ll be okay.” added Momo, reaching for the girl's hand and squeezing it. 

 

A bit more relaxed, Sana agreed again and disappeared in the other room. Momo stayed behind, observing the city in front of her for a few more minutes; looking for the easiest-looking paths, the places to avoid, and the spots to rest and eat something to regain energy. When she came to the room, Sana was out of sight. Momo took the opportunity to organize her bag how she liked it and put on her boots. She was going to zip up her back when she remembered the mini fridge in the room.

 

“Come on you two, we have to get going’’ called Momo once she was done emptying the contents of the fridge.

 

Sana’s head popped out of the bathroom, toothbrush hanging in her mouth. She gave Momo a thumbs up and disappeared again.

________

The sky was a dark grey for the fourth day in a row. The girls were walking close to the buildings to not be as easily seen, just incase they were to encounter anyone. Oakley was in front of them leading the way. Momo didn’t know if the other girl was doing it on purpose, but their hands kept brushing together. They were having a small conversation (mostly Sana talking out loud and Momo nodding along) to pass the time when rain drops started to fall, urging the girls to walk faster. When Momo felt a finger brush against her thumb far too long to be accidental, she looked at Sana. The blonde had her head down and kept glancing at their hands. When she lifted her gaze, Momo quickly moved her head, looking everywhere but Sana, her heart beating faster than normal. Why was she getting so easily worked up over this? Momo reasoned it was because she was alone for so long, her body wasn't used to the touch of someone else. She knew Sana wanted to hold hands. Momo noticed the not so subtle ways Sana tried to hold her hand over the past week. She didn't know why exactly, but she knew Sana was a touchy person and it's probably the way she used to act with the people she knew. Momo, however, never responded to the touch.

 

They reached the building rather fast, arriving in the early afternoon. The sun had yet to show its face and the temperature was lowering as the day went on.

 

“Alright” Momo whispered, now facing Sana to make sure the girl was listening to her. “It's too dangerous to go in the hospital, but the clinic here shouldn't be too bad.”

 

Sana nodded in understanding, petting the dog to calm her nerves. They were downtown, near a hospital, where everyone went when people started to show the first symptoms of turning in the undead. The worst place they could possibly go to. Anything could happen, and Sana knew that. However, she wanted to show a brave face for Momo. Show her she was worth having by her side.

 

“If we’re lucky, soldiers will be inside. They might be dead, but search for the ammo they have. Stay behind me when we get inside okay?” Momo continued. She hit the top of her thigh with her hand. “Oakley, heel.”

 

Momo reached for the door handle, slowly turning the handle. She stopped when light footsteps were heard behind her, making Oakley turn around and growl.

 

“I wouldn’t open that if I were you.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again peeps! Sorry for the long wait but I hope you enjoyed this chapter even if it was a slow one!  
> I'll try to write the next chapter as soon as I can, but grad school started and I'm starting to get hella busy!
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos and comments guys!  
> Lexy


	5. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ok guys im back! this year was crazy but i have my masters degree and way more time! i want to thank you all for your amazing comments, i enjoy all of them and its what makes me write this! i love you!

_ “I wouldn't open that if I were you.” _

 

Momo turned around and reached for Sana’s elbow to pull the confused girl behind her. She lifted her gun, pointing it at the stranger's head. The stranger in question was a girl, looking around their age, if not younger. She was small and looked delicate. A few strands of her shoulder-length black hair were sticking to her sweaty face and her dark eyes weren’t showing any kind of emotion. Momo’s gaze moved to the girl’s hands, which were bandaged and holding a rusty crowbar. 

 

“Step back’’ warned Momo.

 

The stranger sighed. “Look, I mean you no harm…” She took a step closer, but Momo walked backwards, her left hand on Sana’s hip to make sure she stayed put. The blonde was holding her bat, ready for anything. 

 

The short haired girl took another step forward but stopped in her tracks when Oakley stood in front of the girls, showing off all its teeth, the hair on its back standing up. 

 

“Listen…” said the stranger in a low voice. She tried to sound as calm as possible, but Momo could tell she was nervous by the way her eyes kept glancing at the dog and her tightening grip on  the crowbar, leaving her with white knuckles. “I’m gonna go, but take care. And don't go in there if you want to stay alive.” 

 

The stranger then turned back and started walking. Momo kept looking at her, making sure she was really leaving. She suddenly felt her left hand move and before she could react, Sana walked in front of her and yelled. 

 

“Hey! Wait a minute!”

 

“Sana!” Momo gritted between her teeth. “What the hell are you doing?” 

 

But it was too late. The stranger had already turned around, a curious look on her face. Before she could leave, Sana motioned the girl to come back. Momo grabbed Sana’s wrist and started to walk away, but Sana swatted her hand away. She looked up at Momo with a frown on her face. 

 

“Be nice, Momo” she said in a serious voice. Momo was shocked by Sana’s tone, but kept a straight face since Mina was getting closer to them and she didn't want the girl to think this was affecting her. 

 

“It's so nice to meet you!” Sana perked up again. “I'm Sana and this grumpy person here is Momo” she added pointing to the girl on her right. Momo rolled her eyes once again but kept mum. 

 

The short haired girl bowed a little. “It's nice to meet people that are actually...alive. I'm Mina.”

 

Her voice was soft and there was a slight blush on her cheeks. 

 

“Are you staying around here?” 

 

Mina shook her head. “No...I’m actually heading to a military base. I heard they’re trying to rebuild a community.” 

 

“No way!” yelled Sana, jumping up and down. “That's where we're going too! This is so much fun you should totally join us!” 

 

“Would you give us a second?” asked Momo with a fake smile before Mina could open her mouth. Without waiting for an answer, she pulled Sana by the elbow and walked where their whispers couldn't be heard. 

 

“What the fuck was that, Sana? You want a complete stranger to come with us?”

 

Sana’s smile didn't fade in the slightest. “Technically she's not a stranger. I mean...we know her name.”

 

Momo shot her a glare. She looked back at Mina and saw the girl was patiently waiting, balancing herself on the balls of her feet. 

 

“Come on Momo, I was a stranger too and you let me stay with you!” Sana whined.

 

“Yeah and now I'm thinking about where I should leave you” she grumbled. “Sto- Hey, don't hit me!” she screamed before dodging to avoid the fist coming her way. 

 

“Look...everyone needs friends. Why can't we be her friends? Plus you have a gun, don't you? What are you so scared of?” 

 

Momo unfortunately couldn't argue with that logic and had to reluctantly agree with Sana.

 

________

 

The three girls were making their way out of the city, giving up temporarily on Momo's plan to find ammo. Mina and Sana were walking in front, chatting about something Momo didn't care about. The latter was walking a few feet behind them, Oakley close to her. Her eyes didn't leave Mina's back and she already had a hand on her gun, just in case. Sana seemed to get along well with the new addition to their group, throwing her head back to laugh at least five times in the last hour. Mina seemed...okay. She was being nice and answered every question Sana asked her. But there was something about her that Momo didn’t like. She couldn’t really figure out what was it about the girl, but Momo felt like she couldn’t trust her that easily. 

 

A couple of hours passed, and the trio was now walking slower, visibly tired. They were now officially out of the city and were on a dirt road, surrounded by tall trees. The rain that started half an hour ago was now pouring down, making the dirt under their feet turn into slippery mud. The storm was finally coming after all these grey days and it wasn’t going to be pretty. 

 

‘’I have to take a pee break’’ said Momo in a flat voice. She had to repeat herself before the girls stopped their conversation to look at her. Without adding anything, she walked slowly to the tree line, far enough so she could be somewhat hidden, but not to not find her way back.She was about to undo her pants when a cracking branch made her jump. There was Sana, making her way towards her, head down to watch where she was stepping. 

 

‘’Where’s Oakley?’’ wondered Momo once the blonde reached her. 

 

‘’With Mina, I told him to stay with her.’’

 

Momo opened her mouth to scold her but Sana cut her off. 

 

‘’Look Momo…’’ she started, rubbing the back of her neck. ‘’I’d like it if you’d be nicer to Mina..the girl’s been through a lot.’’

 

‘’ _ We _ ’ve all been through a lot!’’ Momo replied, throwing her hands in the air. ‘’Plus I’m not even talking to her so she better stop complaining.’’

 

Sana sighed. ‘’ _ That’ _ s the thing, you haven’t talked to her yet. You should at least make an effort.” 

 

Momo rolled her eyes. 

 

‘’Just try for me, okay?’’ Sana pleaded once more. ‘’I’m gonna go back there now...I don’t want her to think we ditched her.’’ She let out a small laugh before skipping away. 

 

Why did she agree with all of this, Momo wondered. She could be on her own now, not doing anything else but making her way to a safer place. But no, she had to agree to let Sana come with her. And now worst, that girl Mina. She now had a dog she never asked in the first place. Alright, maybe she didn't mind the dog that much. And sometimes it was nice to have Sana around. But she didn't know anything about Mina and it was bothering her. 

 

Mumbling to herself, she pulled her pants back up and made her way back to the girls, who were attending to Oakley, pouring water into their hands so he could drink it. 

 

“Let’s go before it gets dark” is the only thing Momo had time to say before a rumbling sound was heard. 

 

All three of them looked up at the sky. Before anyone could say anything, rain started pouring twice as hard as it was before. They took off running as the thunder roared. They ran on the dirt road for several minutes, mud splashing all over their clothes and only came to a stop when they entered an old looking barn in the periphery of the woods, no house in sight. The building was probably abandoned for a few years now, considering the state of the structure. Nothing was inside it apart from some hay strands on the ground and an empty box. The girls took off their coats in silence and hung them to dry. 

 

“Are we sleeping here?” asked Mina with her tiny voice. She was looking at Momo and the latter was satisfied knowing she knew her place and learned who made the decisions in the group. 

 

As soon as Momo nodded, Sana took the sleeping bag out of her backpack, as if rehearsed, and started setting up for the night. 

 

While Momo and Mina were changing into dry clothes, Sana prepared their meal for the night, mixing canned tuna and peas together in what would be the best thing Mina ever tasted in about a month.

 

With their stomachs full and body dry, the girls were slowly falling asleep. Mina set up her spot in front of them, on the opposite wall of the barn, while Momo and Sana were sharing the spread out sleeping bag. Oakley settled for lying down in the middle. 

 

“Did you take your pill?” Momo suddenly asked the blonde. She noticed the other girl take it every other night and was used to the habit by now. 

 

Sana shook her head with a smile and stretched a hand to retrieve the small bottle from her bag, popping one pill in her mouth. 

 

“What are those for?” Mina asked curiously. 

 

“Oh..They’re for chronic headaches” replied Sana with a shrug. 

 

Momo could tell by Mina’s expression she didn’t believe the answer. But why would Sana lie about something like this? It was none of their business anyways and Momo was not one to pry. Clearly when it was something personal. 

 

She was shaken out of her thoughts by a particularly loud crack of thunder, which also made Sana whimper in fear. She wrapped herself as well as she could with her part of the sleeping bag and hid her face in Momo’s neck. Momo wrapped an arm around the younger girl, pulling her closer so she could try and get some rest even with the loud storm outside. It took a while, but eventually, light snoring could be heard. 

 

It was now pitch black outside and the storm had calmed down, but Momo’s arm had not moved, her hand tracing patterns on Sana’s shoulder. The decrepit barn let the moonlight shine through the slits of the walls, illuminating their faces. Before drifting off to sleep, Momo glanced at a smirking Mina, who looked between Sana and Momo, and winked at the latter. 

 

________

 

Momo woke up with sore muscles she tried to get rid off by stretching. Mina was still sleeping a few feet away from her, but no one else was around. She figured Sana went out to pee, or to let out Oakley. Still, after a few minutes of waiting, there was no sign of them coming back and Momo started to get worried. Her movements were faster as she got ready, suddenly feeling very awake. Mina yawned as she woke up, having heard Momo mumbled under her breath while pacing in the barn, collecting their coats to stuff in their bags. Sana’s was still there, right next to hers. 

 

“Is everything okay?” asked a hesitant Mina, slowly getting up.  

 

Momo glared at her. 

 

“Not now, Mina, this is not the time.”

 

“Where’s Sana?”

 

“I said _not_ _ now _ ,” growled Momo. “Stay here, I’m gonna go look for her.”

 

Momo didn’t wait for the other girl’s reply and ran outside. She first walked around the barn to see if Sana had left any hint on where she could have possibly gone. The girl was nowhere to be seen. Neither was her dog. Momo started to panic, walking faster and putting more distance between her and the barn. She was now in the woods, praying nothing happened to Sana. She kept looking for another half an hour, but nothing. No sign of Sana or Oakley. She thought that maybe the girl went back to the barn and so she started to make her way back when she heard it. The shouting. It came from far, in the direction she was heading. Her feet moved faster before she could think about it. Her pace became a frantic run. She could only think about Sana. Did the scream sound like her? She couldn’t tell. 

  
  


The shouting stopped when she reached the barn and Momo’s mouth turned dry. She tried to swallow, without success. She was dreading what she would find inside. Taking a deep breath, she turned the corner and went inside. The scene in front of her was something she never expected. Two men were lying lifeless on the ground, an axe not far from them. Mina was standing above them, panting, the bloody crowbar in one hand. A shaky and terrified Sana was behind her, hugging Oakley tightly. 

 

“What happened?” Momo screamed, making the other two girls jump in surprise. 

 

Mina dropped her crowbar as if it was burning hot and looked at the ground. Sana got up shaking and made her way towards Momo. She didn’t stop until her arms were around her, squeezing tight. Momo froze, not knowing how to react. She was simply glad the blonde was safe and sound, and so she patted her back twice. 

 

“I-I...I’m so sorry, Momo” answered Sana while crying. “I really had to pee so I w-went out, b-but...I heard voices. I j-just knew they were bad people a-and I tried to lure them away. Oh, Momo, I’m s-so sorry but Mina was t-there and sh-she killed them and...Momo, she saved my life.”

 

All that could be heard for a while were Sana sobs. Momo looked at Mina, who was busy undoing the bandages on her hands. 

 

“Is it true?” asked Momo. Mina’s head snapped up. “Did you do this?”

 

Mina simply shrugged and went back to paying attention to her bandages. She got stopped when a body slammed into hers, arms wrapping around her. She couldn't believe what was happening. Momo was hugging her, and she believed she was letting out a few tears. 

 

“Thank you,” whispered the older girl. 


End file.
